Corn-harvesting machine



Dec. 16, 1930. J. POWELL CORN HARVESTING MACHINE Filed March 27. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 m w w l 6 w E No. J

Dec. 16, 1930. PQWELL CORN HARVESTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1 25 gmwnl'oz 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 J.-PQWELL CORN HARVESTING MACHINE Filed March 27, 1925 Dec. 16, 1930.

J. POWELL Dec. 16, 1930.-

CORN HARVESTING MACHINE Filed March 27, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 t "Patented Dec. 16, 1930 com; rowan, or xoxono, 'nmiuu CORN-HARVESTING E Application filed larch 27, 1925.. ler1a1 Io. 18,718.

This invention relates to harvesting a paratus, and more particularly to a com arvesting machine adapted to stri the ears of corn from two adjacent rows corn simultaneously.

To that end 'the invention contemplates a machine that may be drawn through the corn field by a tractor or other motlve power,

' from the train after it is filled and permit of the attachment of another vehicle to continue trailing the harvester to receive the additional corn.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character set forth wherein the various instrumentalities are positively driven by the tractor or pulling vehicle without depending upon the movement of the harvester itself for any of the motive power. That is to say, it is proposed to provide a harvester wherein the harvesting mechanism is actuated directly by the motor of the tractor through suitable connections provided for that purpose thus avoiding any possibility of the clogging or jamming of the harvester mechanism due to miring of the harvester wheels in soft ground as might happen if the said mechanism were driven by said wheels and they slipped due to lack of traction when travelling over soft or slippery ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein the trailing vehicle to be loaded may be attached directly to the harvester beneath a suitable conveyor on the harvester, the point of attachment being in line with the draw-bar connection between the harvester and the tractor thereby evenly distributing the pulling load on the tractor and insuring proper travel of the.

trailer.

Also, the harvester may be readily detached from the tractor by simply removing a couplin -pin and then disconnecting the motor drive for the harvesting instrumentalities.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel meansfor operating the several units of the harvester in proper synchronism from a common drive shaft which receives the power direct from the motor of the tractor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel husking unit.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown'in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the application of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the harvester.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement and location of the shafting and gearing for operating the several units of the harvester.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating more clearly the manner in which the huskin rolls rotate.

Simi ar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

As previously indicated the present invention contemplates a harvester, not only having the capacity for operating on more than one row of corn stalks at once, but also especially constructed to be used in connection with a ulling tractor and a trailing vehicle whic removes the shucked corn from the field. To that end the invention contemplates special features of construction and design which render the operation of the tive element or tractor is .desi nated as A while the harvester, whose novel features of construct-ion constitute the subject matter of the present invention is designated generally as B and the vehicle to be loaded with the shucked corn is designated by the reference character 0. In connection with the tractor A it will be observed that the same includes the traction wheels a mounted upon a frame I) and a suitable motor M which furnishes the power for driving the tractor and also pulling the harvester B which is coupled to the tractor by means of the draw-bar B. As will be observed from Figure 1, the front end of the draw-bar may be connected with the cross-bar A on the tractor at any one of a number of points in the length of the bar indicated by the openings A. This adjustment makes it possible to set the harvester B in the desired offset relation to the tractor,

according to the spacing of the rows of corn, or'other conditions'under which it is desirable to operate in the field.

Attached to the draw-bar B is an obliquely disposed bar or beam B? which is connected to the draw bar at its front end by a gusset plate B and also supports a platform B The rear end of the draw-bar B and the obliquely disposed member B are preferably provided with the knuckle portions B for receiving the hinge pins of the hinge members B carried by a main harvester frame designated generally as F. This frame includes in its organization the main cross frame members F which support the upstanding end frame members F and F and the intermediate upstanding frame member F The tops of the upstanding frame members F, F and F are connected at their upper ends by the transverse top rail F" which is preferably an angle member as shown in the drawings, thereby to rigidly connect the upper ends of the upstanding frame members and provide a rigidly braced structural frame. As will be observed from Figs. 2 .and 3,-the said main frame F constructed as above outlined is also provided with suitable axles for carrying the wheels W upon which the harvesterproper travels. The bottom faces of the angle members F have forwardly extending braces F secured thereto for the purpose of supporting the gathering and picking units G. The lower ends of these units rest on the braces F while the upper'ends are secured to the supstanding end member F and the'intermediate upstanding frame member F. As will be observed from Fig. 1 the said top rail F is connected to the frame -'member B by an extensible coupling designated generally as F and including an interiorly threaded socket member F pivotally connected to the frame member 13' and receiving a screw shaft F having thereon a hand wheel for facilitating its manipulation. The upper end of the screw shaft F is swiveled in a portion of the bracket F ivotally carried by the top rail F. With t is arrangement it will be apparent that by manipulating the hand wheel of the screw shaft F? the relative position'of the upright frame F and the draw bar B may be adjusted so as to permit the frame to assume a substantially vertical position, or a forwardly or backwardly leaningposition as desired for the purpose of raising and lowering the forward end of the picking or gathering unit of the harvester desig nated in its entirety as G.

As previously indicated the present machine is equipped for handling two adjacent rows of corn, and to that end the gathering unit G preferably includes a pair of outside gathering plates 1 and 2 and an intermediate combined guiding toe and trough unit 3 for assisting in the picking and collecting of the ears of corn from the stalk. As will be ohserved'from Fig. 1 the said outside gathering blades 1 and 2 are inclined toward the central unit 3 and are curved at their front ends as indicated at 44 thereby to cooperate with the curved portions 55 of the member 3 to provide converging mouth por-=' tions for receiving and delivering the corn stalks into the zone of operation of the gathering chains 6 which extend along the constricted throat portion formed between the plates 1 and 2 and the central member 3.

Before proceeding to a description of the operation and mounting of the chains 6 it may be noted from Fig. 2 that the said gathering unit G is inclined downwardly toward the front end of the harvester so that as the machine travels through the field the stripping or picking instrumentalities will remove the ears from the corn stalk even though the ears are arranged one above the other due to the fact that the hi he st por tion of the unit G is designed an intended to move on a level with the highest ears on the stalks. Also, it may be noted that the central member 3 is provided with the oppositely inclined faces 3 and 3" respectively inclining toward the plates 1 and 2, while at the rear of the inclined portions 3 and 3 there isprovi ded a trough like portion 7 the husks on a waste conveyor K located beneath the husking unit, while'the ears of cornv with the husk removed are delivered into the lower collecting or receiving end L of a wagon loadingconveyorunit M which includes a frame that is pivotally connected to I the mainframe F as indicated at N and also comprises the conveyor proper M. The

loaded, and for the purpose of holding the same at the desired elevated angle a screwthreaded rod 0 and nut element 0' may be utilized, the said rod being manipulated .by a hand wheel 0 to raise'and lower the conveyor on the pivot 'N which permits the convehicle C a suitab e stay rod Q. and angular.

veyor to swing laterally as well as vertically. To control the lateral swinging of the conveyor M and pro rly position it over the adjusting lever Q may be employed, the latter having a spring-pressed dog or pawl operating in connection with a segment or rack 'for holding the lever in the desiredset position.

One of the distinctive features of the invention resides in driving all of the various o rating 'instrumentalities of the harvester direct from the motor'or engine E. Accordingly, by referring to the diagrammatic illustration of the units G H and M shown in Fig.

4, as well as the fuli illustration thereof in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be observed that the gathering chains 6 having the spaced ofiset teeth or spines 6 are mounted on the main sprocket wheels 9 and 10 and trail over the idler rollers or wheels 11 which guide the' inner flights of the chain in close parallel re; lation over the ribbed snapping or picking rolls. 12-12. The sprocket wheels 9-9 located at the front end of the guiding mouths 18 on shafts 19 which carry the sna ping or stripping rolls 12. One of the sha ts 19 in turn carries a gear 20 meshing with a gear 21 on the main power shaft 22.

' As the gathering and picking instrumentalities at opposite sides of the gathering unit.

G are of duplicate construction or formation the description of one will suflice for the other and the same reference characters will apply in each instance. Both of the gathering and picking instrumentalities are operated by the main shaft 22 as will be readily apparent from Fig. 4.

The said main shaft 22 extends transversely .of the machine and is journaled in suitable bearings provided forthat purpose, and as will be noted from Fig. 4 the same is preferably provided with a universal joint 23 of the leather disk type for connecting the two sections of the main power thereby to rehave the shaft of any unusual bending stress or strain due to the application of power di-,

rect from the motor or engine E to the gear wheel 24 which meshes with the pinion 25 of the propeller unit designated generally as P. This propeller unit includes the shaft 26 which carries the gear 24 at one end and has a flexible joint 27 at its opposite end, one part of said joint being connected to one of the members 28 of aresilient and extensible coupling 29 which in turn is connected by a mit the operator to cause the harvesting instrumentalities to operate or not as des red. The elevating conveyor 8 of the gathering unit G includes the up r and lower sprocket shafts 8' and 8", the ormer carrying therewith a relatively large sprocket wheel 8 which receives a chain 33 that passes over the relatively small sprocket wheel 34 on the main power shaft 22. Thus, as the full ears of corn with the husk thereon are removed from the stalk and fall into the trough 7 and onto the conveyor 8, they are lifted by the latter and delivered into the upper'end of the inclined trough G which feeds the husking u'nit H.

The husking unit H preferably includes in its organization a plurality of-husking rolls 35 and 36 adjacent ones of which are located in different planes so that all of the rolls as a unit are mounted in staggered relation in upper and lower parallel planes intersecting the axes of the upper rolls 35 and the lower rolls 36. As will be observed from Fi 2 and also Fig.4 the said rolls are geare to each other by gears 37 and the opposite ends of the rolls are journalled in the arms 38 pivoted as at 39 to the frame of the husking rolls in mesh and one of the pair of central rolls 36 and 36 which have a stationary mounting in the husking frame, namely the roll 36' is provided with a shaft carrying a gear 41 which meshes with a gear 42 onashaft 43 which is driven from the main power shaft '22 by the bevel gear 44. Thus, the husking pivoted arms 38, and the latter in turn are pressed inwardly by the springs thereby to keep the rolls in yielding contact and yet at the same time permit the same to be reliably driven from the main shaft due to the provisionof the central fixed rollers. As will be observed from Fi 5 the central rolls 36* and 36* which have a xed mounting in the huskingframe contribute materially to the efliciency of the husking unit, largely due to the fact that because they rotate in opposite directions they cause the upper rolls 35 at each side'of thecenter-of the unit to rotate in the direction of the arrows which results in feedin the ears of corn to be husked from the sldes of the unit toward the center, thereby avoiding congestion of the ears in the husking unit which would be the case if all of the upper rolls 35 operated in the same direction. In the latter case all of the ears of corn would have a tendency to shift to one side of the unit which would materially interfere with the efiiciency of the husking rolls. With the arrangement described however, any tendency of the ears to collect or congest at the center of the husking unit is avoided under the pressure exerted by the conveyor 45 overlying the rolls, which conveyor will be presently described. In other words, the novel arrangement of the husking rolls shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5 permits of better distribution of the ears over the whole surface of the rolls of the husking unit.

It will be seen that the husking rollers 35 and 36 are disposed transversely of the machine and for the purpose of ieldingly forcing the ears bearing the husks into engagement with the husking rolls a flexible presserconveyor 45 is mounted over the said rolls so that its lower flight will hold the ears of corn in contact with the husking rolls. The

said flexible conveyor 45 carries therewith a plurality of transversely disposed slats or ribs 40 which materially assist in pressing the ears of corn into contact with the husking rollers.

Also, it will be noted that the said conveyor 45 is mounted upon the sprocket shafts 47 and 48, the latter shaft carrying therewith a s rocket wheel 49 having a chain 50 passing .t ereover and'in turn passing over a sprocket I 51 on the shaft 43 previously referred to. In that way the presser-conveyor45 is also operated by the main power shaft 22.

After the husks or shucks have been removed from the 'ears of corn it is proposed to remove the same toward the center of the harvester and to that end a waste conveyor moves in the direction of the arrow thereby v to carry the shucks from the lower end ofthe v husking unit toward the center of the Ima-. chine where they may be dropped into a suitgblereceptacle or on the groundif desire When theears of corn have been husked or i shucked by the husking unit H, they are deposited, as previously explained in the re- .ceivinghopper L of the loading convegor M whereupon they ma be elevated and eposited in any desire harvester who 'maycontrol the'position of the conveyor throu h diums OO and The conveyor proper M" of the major loadthe main power shaft 22. This clutch device is adapted to be controlled in the conventional manner by shifting clutch collar .63 and the manipulating lever 64 (Fig. 1). .The purpose of'having the conveyor M under the control of the operator is to enable the proper distribution of the ears of corn in the vehicle C, according to the speed that the ears are shucked anddelivered to the hopper L for placing in the trailing vehicle, and to otherwise renderthe loading independent of the picking and shucking units.

From the foregoing descriptionit'will be apparent that the present harvester includes in its organization a novel gathering unit G comprising gathering chains and stripping rollers disposed para lel to the line of travel of the machine and adapted to snap or pick the ears of corn from the stalk and deliver the same into the trough which feeds the elevator 8. The conveyor 8 then delivers the full ears of corn to the chute G which feeds the husking unit H and the latter strips the shuck or husks from the ears and delivers the same to the hopper L for transfer into the waiting vehicle. One of the distinctive features of the machine is.the'provision of the main power shaft 22 which is disposed transversely of the harvester frame andis driven direct from the motor of the tractor thereby to supply all of the operating parts of the the stalk is important since it enables maxi-.

the manipulating me- 1 v part of the. vehicle. C according to the desire ofthe operator of the mum stri ping efliciency under varying conmounted at one end of the sai ditions 0 use.

' Without further descri tion it is thought that the many features an advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

claim 1. In a harvesting machine, a wheeled frame comprising structural metal members arra ed to provide a rigidly braced carrying rame, a gathering and icking unit frame, said unit having spaced curved diverging guiding shoes and correspondingly curved gathering chains at the forward end thereof, a drawbar hinged to the other end of said frame,

and an obliquely disposed beam connected with the draw-bar and hinged to themain frame,.said beam and bar being located at the end of the frame opposite the gathering unit, a platform provided on the beam and drawbar, and means connecting the draw-bar and beam with the main frame to adjust one with reference to the other and thereby position the gathering and picking unit.

2. In a harvesting machine, a wheeled frame comprising structural metal members arranged -to provide a rigidly braced carrying frame, a gathering and picking unit mounted at one end of said frame, said unit having spaced curved diverging guiding shoes and correspondingly curved gathering chains at the forward end thereof, a drawbar hinged to the other end of said frame, and an obliquely disposed beam' connected with the draw-bar and hinged to the main frame forming a triangular shaped platform at the end of the frame opposite the gathering unit, and a screw mechanism pivoted at its opposite ends between the draw-bar and beam, and the main frame, for adjusting the gathering and picking unit with respect to the main frame.

connected to said braces and to the interme diate upstanding frame member and one of the upstanding end frame members.

4. A harvesting machine comprising a main frame consisting of spaced angle members arranged with their included angles facing each other, upstanding end and inter mediate frame members secured in the included angles ofsaid angle members, a top rail of angular cross section coextensive with the length of said angle members and connecting the to s of all of said upstanding frame members, races carried by the underside of means connecting said frame and said hitch,

whereby the operator can move the front or receiving ends of said rolls up and down, elevating means for the ears located between said pairs of rolls, whereby the ears will be carried in rear of saidframe, a transversely positioned husking device mounted to the rear of said frame, paralleling the same and positioned in rear of said hitch, a chute for transferring the ears from said elevator to said husking unit, and a final elevator detachably positioned at the outlet end of said husking unit whereby the husked corn can be elevated to a final receptacle.

6. A tractor drawn corn harvester including a transverse main frame having supporting and travelling wheels mounted at the ends thereof, snapping roll units mounted on the frame at one side thereof adjacent one of the supporting wheels, a forwardly extending hitch mounted on the other side of the frame and pivotally connected therewith, said snapping roll units and hitch being mounted on the frame between said wheels, means between the hitch and the frame for varying the vertical position of the frame and in turn raising and lowering the snapping units carried by said frame, elevating means for the snapping units extending from the front of said frame to the rear thereof, a husking unit supported parallel with the transverse frame and adapted to receive discharge from said elevating means, and a final elevator having its lower end arranged in receiving relation to the discharge end of the husking unit, said final elevator being located at the side of the frame, to which the hitch is attached.

7. A corn harvester adapted to be tractor drawn comprising, in combination, a trans- .verse main frame, supporting wheels at the ends of said frame, snapping roll units mounted on said frame between said supporting wheels and adjacent to one of the latter and extending forwardly from said frame, a. forwardly extendin hitch pivotally connected with said frame etween said supportim wheels and adjacent to the other of sai wheels, means between the hitch and the frame for varying the vertical position of the frame to in turn raise and lower the snaping units carried by said frame, a forward- 7 y and rearwardly extending conveyor-at the m first mentioned end of the transverse frame cooperating with the snapping units to elevate the ears of corn gatliered by said snapping units, a final conve .or disposed rear- I wardly of said transverse rame at the second mentioned end thereof, and a husking unit extending between said conveyors and having one end disposed in receiving relation to the discharge end portion of said snapping roll conveyor and 1ts other end disposed in discharging relation to the receiving end portion of said final conveyor.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature.

' JOHN POWELL. 

